Power lift for gin breasts



I ug. 17, 1937.

G. H. MCCLINTOCK POWER LIFT FOR GIN BREAsTs Filed Feb. 29, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet l www Allgf 17, 1937 G. H. MccLlNTocK 2,090,543

POWER LIFT FOR GIN BREASTS Filed Feb. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-51H86?I 2 I l IPatented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STAT FTENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to gin breast lifting devices, and has for one ofits objects the production of a power device for automatically liftingthe breast of a cotton gin through the operation of a trigger mechanism,whereby the breast may be lifted out of a ginning position should thegin become choked or otherwise fail to properly function.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple andeflicient power mechanism for lifting the breast of a cotton gin andalso automatically applying a brake to the power mechanism andre-setting the same, whereby the power mechanism will again be inaposition to l5 lift the breast should the necessity for such action.again arise. 1 1

Another object of this invention is the production of a simple andefficient mechanismfor lifting the breast of a cotton gin which is soconstituted as to operate'withfacility in conjunction with theconventional gin structure now so commonly in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appearthroughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings: Y a

Figure l is a side elevation of the power device shown in associationwith a cotton gin;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the power device shown in Figure 1; K l

Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the power device, theweight-supporting lever being shown in section and a portion of the ginbeing also shown;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2; A

Figure 5 is a perspective View of a portion of the trigger-supportingframe and trigger mechanism;

Figure 6 is a section taken on line Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a top plan view, of the forward end of the power mechanism,the parts being shown in their operating position.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that G designates the ginwhich may be of the conventional type having a conventional gin breast Bwhich is pivotally mounted in the conventional manner and is actuated bya pivot cam 50 lift L also of the conventional type. This cam lift L isactuated by an operating rod lil which extends rearwardly of the gin G,as shown clearly in Figure l;

For the purpose of lifting thegin breast-B, vI

55 employ a specially constructed'fpower lift -mechanism A, which powerlift mechanism comprises .a

frame H upon'which frame is the main drive shaft l2 carrying a drivepulley i3 which is actuated by a drive belt I4 from a power line shaft.This drive shaft i2 carries a second driving pulley i5 over which apower belt l@ passes., the power belt I6 extending forwardly andlongitudinally of the frame A and passing around an idle pulley Ilsupported or carried by the transmission shaft !3. A fixed or drivepulley I9 is carried by the transmission shaft I8 and is secured theretoin the conventional manner, the drive pulley i9 being arranged in closeproximity and to one side of the idle pulley I1.

` A brake drum 2Q is also carried by and secured to the. transmissionshaft i8 and may be located to one side of the fixed pulley i9. A brakeband 2i is secured at one end to the supporting rod 22 which supportingrod 22 is in turn supported by the upstanding armsy 23 carried by theframe El. The opposite end of the brake band 2l is secured to the innerend of the brake lever 25, which brake lever is pivotally-se'curedbetween the bifurcated end 26 of the standard 2l mountedon the front endof the frame l l. A suitable counterbalance weight 28 is carried by theouter end of the brake lever 25.

The frame Il carries near its forward end in advance of the transmissionshaft i8 an auxiliary transmission shaft 2Q which extends substantiallyparallel to the transmission shaft i8 .and is journaled upon thejournals Sil carried by the frame ll. This auxiliary transmission shaft29 carries a sprocket wheel 3l over which passes. a sprocket also overthe sprocket WheelSS carried by the transmission shaft i6 wherebyvrotary motion may be imparted from the transmission shaft I8 to theAauxiliary shaft 29. The auxiliary transmission shaft 29 carries a gearwhich meshes with an enlarged gear 35, which gear 35 -is carried by theactuating shaft 35 which is journaled at one end, as `at 31, to theframe ll, and at its opposite end to a suitablel supporting journal 6B.This actuating shaft 36 carries `an actuating arm 39 which in turnconnects to the operating rod l0, which rod lil is connected to the camlifting lever L. A hand lever ill is also carried by the actuating shaft35 to permit the manual operation of the shaft 36 should it be desiredat any time.

A chain of other suitable iiexible element 4I Vis connected to aconnecting hook 42 carried by the enlarged gear wheel 35 and this gearwheel also carries aplur'ality of connecting hooks 43 which,

chain 32, the sprocket chain 32 passing i 34 at its outer end act asguides or cradles for the chain as the gear operates in a clockwisedirection. VThis chain` 4| is connected at its rear end to a lever 44,which' lever 44 is carried by an upstanding rod 45-note Figure -theupstanding rodV45 being journaled Y at its respective ends'upon theVarms46 of the uprightv frame 41. ThisV upright shaft 45 carries a beltshifting armr48 near its lower end which engages the belt shiftingfinger 49, the belt shifting finger 49 also engaging or straddling thebelt I6 for the purpose of shifting the belt I6 from the idleV pulleytoV thedriving or xed pulleyrl.

- VA tripping lever I) is secured to the upper end v of the uprightshaft 45, and this Vtripping ,lever l5 is attached to atension coilspring 5| which .'20 to the tripping spring is `in turn connected to apoint nearV the rear end ofY the frame Il, as at 52, to normally exert arearward pulling action uponfthe tripping, lever 50. A trigger Y53 ispivotallysecured Vmally engage` the notch; 54 forrnedY in; the top ofthe upright frame '41 and'hold theY partsv inV a set or Vinactiveposition. A coilspring 55 is connected to the outer end of the trigger53 and also to the tripping leverY V5|] to'normally hold the trigger 53in an engaging position. A pull cord 54 Vis Yconnected to the, outer endof thetrigger 53 f Wherebya pullrmanually or otherwise upon the cordr 54will cause the trigger Y53 to becomerdisengaged from the notch 54', thecoil spring 5IY causing thetripping lever to be pulled rearwardly, theshaftV 45 to be rotated, the lever-44 to be swung, thereby shifting thebelt I6 from the loose pulley I1 to the driving or xed pulley I9 andcausing the parts to move from the position shown in FigureV 2 to thepositionrshown in Figure 7.

In conjunction with my device, I employ'a bralrey controlling mechanismv which consists` in 40 a verticallyextending rod 6|I whichris journaled7 upon suitable journals 6| carried by the front of vthe frame Il. Thisrod 6i!r is provided with an angularly extending finger 62 which isadaptedto extend under the Ybrake actuating lever 25. A

*Tg5 second angularly extending nger 63 is-carried near the lower endofthe rod and extends in an opposite direction to thenger 62-so that thisnger 63 may be engaged by the lug 64 carried by the inner face ofv theenlarged Vgear wheel 35. A

V50 coil spring 65 is connected to an arm 66 carried by the rod 60 andnormally tends to pull the finger 62V in toward the'front end oftheframelI and Vunder the lever 25.

l The operation of they device is as follows:-

When the trigger isset forrholding the arm 50 in a set position and theoperating'cable or pull cord 54'is pulled, the trigger 53 will bedisengaged from the notch 54 and the spring 5| will swing the arm 50rearwardly, the fingerY 62 being in a 'position under the lever 25 torelease the brake band 2| and the driving belt I6 being in engagementVwith the idle pulley I1. 'Ihe partsV will then immediately-.assume theposition, shown in Figure 'l due to the'fact Ythat the brake will b e 65disengaged and the gear wheel`35 may rotate in a counter-clockwisedirection under the pull of the lever 44`on the chain 4| V,At thisinstant the belt shifting nger 49 will immediately throw the belt I6from the position shown 'in' Figure 2 70 to the position shown in Figure7 whereupon the driving pulley I9 will be actuated'to gradually pullupon the chain 4| through the-rotation of the gear wheel-35 in aclockwise direction and this movement as it continues will cause a pullupon v175 the Lrod `I0 and the opening of the .gin breast.As

lever50' and is adapted to nor# prising an idle pulley anda auxiliarytransmission shaft driven from said this rotation of the wheel 35continues, the lug 64 will engage'the lingerv 63 and the nger B2'to thedotted line position shown in Figure 2, whereupon the'weighted lever 25will cause the Ybrake band 2| to be applied, slowing down the rotationof the shaft I8 andthe lever 44 through the pull` of the chain 4I willpull the arm 50 Yand triggerr 53 to a set position suchas is shown inYFigureV 5,

resetting the Vvarious' parts whereby they mayV again actuateuponthepull of the'cord 54 to release the trigger.

It should be understood thatY certaindetail changes in the mechanicalconstruction, Vcombination' and arrangement Yof parts may be'employedwithout 4departing from` the spirit of the invention, so long as suchchanges fail within the scope of the appended claims.

Having describedjihe' invention, what is claimed as new is:V e

1.'A power mechanism forV automaticallylifting a gin breast comprisingla Vframe,.a .iriyingw means carried by theV Yframe, a 'transmissio'nnmeans carried by said frame, an auxiliaryrtrans-V mission means Yalsocarried by the frame, an actuatingv shaft carried by the frame, an`operating gear wheel carried by said actuating;V shaft,

driving means interposed between said-gearwheel` i and said rstmentioned transmissionV means, aj;

driving element connecting the transmission means with the drivingmeans, meansVr for shift-Y ing said driving element to and from aclutching position, a trigger for holding said last mentioned means in aset position, a tension spring Y connected to said shifting means,flexible means connecting said gear wheel with said shiftingA meansrforautomatically returning the shifting means to a set position,spring`means,engaging said ,trigger for holding the trigger'invarl lockedposition, and meansi'for facilitating the moving of said triggertoareleased position. Y .Y

2. A power deviceof the classdescribed comprising a frame, a drivingmechanism Ycarried by the frame, a transmission mechanism car-- ried bythe frame; saidY transmission.l mechanism. comprising Yan idle pulleyandra fixed pulley, an

auxiliary transmission shaftdriven from said transmission means, andactuating shaft` for Vopening and closing a gin breast,4 a driving gearcarried by said actuating shaftand driven from said auxiliarytransmission shaft, a brake-mechanism for said transmission mechanism, atripping mechanism for releasing saidV brake mechanism,.-Y

and means carriedA by said gear for moving said tripping mechanism toasaid brake mechanism. Y

the frame, a transmission mechanism carried by the frame, saidtransmission mechanism (comrfixed pulley, an

transmission means, an actuating shaft fior opening and closing a ginbreast, a driving gear carried by said actuating shaft, and driven fromsaid auxiliary transmission shaft, a. brake mechanism forsaidtransmission mechanism, a tripping mechanism fo'r releasing saidbrake mechanism,` means carried by fsaidY gear `for moving said trippingmechanism to releasing said brake mechanism, said brake va 'positionifoposition for releasing',`

- .55 3. A power device of the class described com-` prising a /framefadriving mechanism carried lby Y mechanism having an operating'fweightedleven said tripping mechanismcomprising a rod having a laterallyextending finger for engaging said lever and releasing said brakemechanism as-the nger engages saidhlevenrmeans Vfor norrrially-L holdingsaid nger in engagement with the lever, said tripping mechanism alsocomprising an oppositively extending finger, and said gear having a lugfor engaging the last mentioned finger whereby said tripping mechanismwill be moved to a position for disengaging said lever when said gearrotates to a predetermined position.

4. A power device of the class described comprising a frame, a drivingmechanism carried by the frame, a transmission mechanism carried by theframe, said transmission mechanism comprising an idle pulley and a fixedpulley, an auxiliary transmission shaft driven from said trans missionmeans, an actuating shaft driven from said auxiliary transmission shaft,means connected to said actuating shaft for operating a gin breast, abrake mechanism for said gin breast, the means for driving the actuatingshaft from the auxiliary transmission shaft embodying a gear wheel, achain secured to said gear wheel, guiding means for the chain, a beltfor driving the transmission mechanism from the driving mechanism, abelt shifting mechanism for moving the belt to and from a driving to anidle position, said shifting mechanism comprising an operating shaft andmeans for engaging the belt, an operating lever engaging said lastmentioned shaft, tension means for automatically swinging the lever,latching means for holding said lever in a locked position, means forreleasing the latch whereby the lever may swing automatically forshifting said belt, and means for connecting the chain to said lastmentioned shaft for returning said lever from an unlocked to a lockedposition.

GEORGE H. MCCLINTOCK.

